


The Longing Of Rebirth

by MelodramaticSalad



Series: Sterek Week 2016 [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Asshole Gerard Argent, Bonding, Derek Hale as Hades, Derek With Dogs, Evil Gerard, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hurt Stiles, M/M, Sheriff Stilinski Finds Out, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Sterek Week 2016, Stiles Stilinski is Persephone, Stiles With Dogs, Twists on Mythology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8389222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodramaticSalad/pseuds/MelodramaticSalad
Summary: Made for Day 3 of Sterek Week, following the theme of Fairytales/Lore! This is a different take on the Persephone and Hades tale!The role that Derek played was guardian to the underworld, a place that chilled one to the bone at the simple thought of it. For the most part, he lived there alone with the souls of those that had passed to keep him company. The work was always busy and always thankless, colder than the ground one was buried in.He longed for the warmth of the sun, for springtime when the flowers bloomed. Was his role a mistake? He'd always wondered if he was cursed and if this was how things would always be. Stiles grew bored of the spring, of the flowers, of the pollen that would cover everything in a yellow dust. He'd tired of the monotony of the same old pattern; pollinate, bloom, harvest. Over and over again it had turned and turned. What truly fascinated him was when the flowers would wither and petals would fall from their stems.He had a morbid fascination with death, with the destruction of everything so perfect. Perhaps that was what had drawn him to the gateway in the first place.





	

The role that Derek played was guardian to the underworld, a place that chilled one to the bone at the simple thought of it. For the most part, he lived there alone with the souls of those that had passed to keep him company. The work was always busy and always thankless, colder than the ground one was buried in.

He longed for the warmth of the sun, for springtime when the flowers bloomed. Was his role a mistake? He'd always wondered if he was cursed and if this was how things would always be.

 

Stiles grew bored of the spring, of the flowers, of the pollen that would cover everything in a yellow dust. He'd tired of the monotony of the same old pattern; pollinate, bloom, harvest. Over and over again it had turned and turned. What truly fascinated him was when the flowers would wither and petals would fall from their stems.

He had a morbid fascination with death, with the destruction of everything so perfect. Perhaps that was what had drawn him to the gateway in the first place.

 

He wandered from the path that he was meant to stay on, the path that had always stayed the same. Through the rose bushes he wandered, brushing his fingers against thorns and staring at the colors.

Red, pink, white. Red, pink, white. Red, red, red. Red, white, white.

Red, pink.....Brown...Black.

Stiles frowned at the changes in colors, brushing his fingers over the browned petals of the flower. They crunched breathe the pressure of his fingers and dropped one by one to the ground below. He touched the black one and felt it fall to pieces at his touch. The petals even stained his fair skin with soot.

Stiles stared at the ash on his finger tips and turned his head to follow the colors. Black...Black...Black.

Everything that grew near the door way died and burned. What a curious thing indeed.

As he stepped closer to the gateway, a lesson he had been told over and over echoed in his mind.

_"Don't go near the black gate. There is nothing for you there."_

Stiles eyes lit up in wonder and felt a rush of excitement in his chest as he pulled at the iron gates, shivers rushing down his spine at the creak that reverberated into the quiet afternoon when it finally opened for him. The gate led to marble steps, leading downwards into darkness.

Stiles cast a look over his shoulder to make sure that no one was watching before he began his descent. With every step, his heart pounded wildly in his chest. 

He was rebelling and it felt so good. Straying from the path that he had repeatedly followed made him feel more free than he could have ever expected.

When he reached the final stair and stepped onto the floor, his footstep sent an echo through the pitch black hallway ahead of him.

Once the echoed faded away, the only sound left in the darkness was the sound of Stiles' breathing. He stood still and waited for another sound, but none came.

Finally, when he was considering turning and walking up the stairs again, he could see red light. Two red lights, small despite how brightly the color illuminated. The light flickered and Stiles realized they were eyes.

"What are you doing here?" The voice asked.

"I don't know." Stiles replied, shrugging his shoulders. He wasn't sure if the male in front of him could even see it.

The male stared at him for a long moment before speaking again, "You don't know?"

"I mean, I guess I kind of know. I wanted to see what was down here. I wanted to escape."

"You're not human." The voice noted, more to himself than Stiles.

Stiles raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do any humans regularly stroll down here unannounced?"

"No, humans can't use the gateway freely." Stiles heard the sound of fingers snapping together, causing the candles adoring the walls to light up.

He blinked to allow his eyes to adjust to the new light, rubbing them and listening to the sound of footsteps. Fingers brushed against his shoulder and he lowered his hand and gazed up at the man.

His eyes were no longer red, but still drew Stiles in with the medley of greens and brown. He found it ironic that the fascinating colors reminded him of the monotonous earth he had been craving to escape. This time, the colors didn't remind him of a road he'd been trapped on. This time, they filled him with wonder.

"So you're like me then." The man mumbled, brushing his thumb against the mark on Stiles shoulder. Stiles' considered the mark little more than a brand on his skin. The mark was in the shape of a P, only visible to other Gods so they could identify each other when they'd first meet. He shuddered as the man brushed his fingers over the ugly letter.

"I know who you are. You're him, aren't you? The one in charge of this place?" The man jerked his hand away as if he'd been burned.

"Does that scare you?"

Stiles only smiled and stepped closer. "Should it? What should I call you? Calling your God name is too obvious and frankly boring. I want to refer to you by _your_ name."

The man probably thought he was crazy. "It's Derek."

Stiles nodded and looked over this Derek person standing before him. Jet black hair, a somber expression, black clothing, it was easy to see why this man was Hades. Although...

"Perhaps you really are like me." Stiles whispered.

"Meaning what, exactly?" Derek asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Meaning you don't want to be this way. You're tired of the role you that was given to you. You think it's a mistake too, don't you?"

Derek scoffed at Stiles' words. "What could a spoiled brat like you possibly know about that? You're free to explore as much as you'd like without fear."

Stiles wasn't upset by Derek's comment, it was a fair statement. "Just like you, what I was given is not what I wanted. Yes, I am on the outside, but I'm still limited. I'm confined to the same tasks every single season and nothing ever changes. It feels like there's a leash tight around my neck, and all I'd like to do is break the binds." He sighed and tapped his foot on the floor for a brief moment.

An idea popped in his head and he smiled again. Derek raised his eyebrows at Stiles' smile and wasn't sure if he wanted to know what ideas were lighting up those clever eyes. "Maybe things can change. Maybe we don't have to let things continue this way."

"How would we change it?"

Stiles shrugged and looked Derek over. "You're lonely, aren't you?" The way Derek's posture went rigid confirmed Stiles' question. "You crave what I help with, I'm interested in what you control. It's what drew me here in the first place and brought me to you. If you think about it, our existence brings us together. Life and death, so it's only natural for one to be intrigued by the other." He whispered as he stepped close enough to feel Derek's warm breath on his face.

Derek didn't step back and instead watched Stiles' every movement as he held his ground. Stiles was right, both of them seemed to torment themselves with tedious infatuation of what the other had grown exhausted of.

Maybe things didn't have to stay the same anymore, perhaps they could change.

"Alright." Derek finally spoke.

 

Stiles began to sneak away from his duties and through the gates as often as he could, only managing it once every week. It was enough to break the rut he'd been stuck in and enough to make him feel happy again.

He'd even notice a change in Derek each time he'd visit. Derek would wait for him at the bottom of the stairs, ready to spend time with him again.

Stiles knew the hallways like the back of his hand and could probably navigate them blindfolded if he had to. The Underworld felt like it was becoming a second home to him, a home where he could be himself and not have to worry about being judged.

He knew that others found him strange, that his infatuation with the end of life didn't make sense to others. He didn't understand why they couldn't see why it amazed him when they lived forever.

In the repetition of pollenate, bloom, harvest, death was a rare occurrence. He'd only seen total loss once, and that was when he was a child. His father and Zeus had argued about something big, and the fight got had gotten out of hand. In retaliation for Zeus' outbursts, Stiles' father let the harvest fail and instead watched them die.

The bright green and vivid colors of flowers and plants turned pale, then brown, and then slowly black. So many colors that Stiles hadn't seen quite yet. Black became a favorite color of Stiles.

He would always remember the way dying leaves would crunch beneath his feet and the rush it sent through him. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once to experience the death of everything they had worked on.

Perhaps he was strange, but those moments were the turning point that led him to believe that he was in the wrong line of work.

Despite his frequent wandering of the hallways, there was one room that he'd never entered yet. Derek had asked him not to open the door, so Stiles accepted the request and avoided the door. 

Occasionally he'd get the urge to see what was behind the black door, but the desire to keep his promise was always greater. If he'd open the door without permission, Derek would most likely ask him to leave and never return. It wasn't worth losing the one person that finally understood him.

This time on Stiles' visit, he walked down the hall in hard, rushed steps and searched for his cherished friend. "Derek?" He called out, balling his hands into tight fists.

He found Derek tending to his large dog, a marvelous creature with three heads. Cerberus barked at the sight of Stiles, wagging his tail in excitement. Derek stopped brushing his black coat and looked over to Stiles before he smiled. "Welcome back." He greeted him, stepping away to set the brush on his table.

Stiles rushed over to Derek and pulled him into a tight embrace, surprising him. Derek frowned and rested his hands on Stiles' hips as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

"They're figuring it out." Stiles mumbled against Derek's shoulder. "I had soot on me from the gate when I went home. Dad's concerned but Zeus was angry. I tried to reassure them that it was nothing, but I think they know."

Derek's frown deepened as he mulled over potential ideas to keep Stiles here. Stiles helped breathe life into this place, he made it feel a little less cold. Derek didn't frighten Stiles and he had to admit it felt nice to not be looked at differently for once. "What if you didn't have to leave?"

Stiles furrowed his eyebrows and stepped back so he could look clearly at Derek's face. "I don't?"

Derek shook his head and offered his hand to Stiles. "If you don't want to."

Stiles pursed his lips together and stared at Derek's hand. It wasn't long before he nodded and reached to him. "I want to stay."

Derek smiled in relief and gave his hand a tender squeeze before he led him out of the room. They continued down the hallway in silence until finally stopping outside of the forbidden room.

Stiles' eyes widened in surprise as he looked between the door and Derek. "Are you sure it's okay for me to go inside?"

Derek nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. "You want to stay, that means it will be alright." He let go of Stiles hand and unlocked the door for him before he took a step back and motioned to Stiles.

Stiles hesitated briefly, his heart starting to beat faster in excitement. His mind rushed through the limitless possibilities of what could be behind the door and what the secret could be.

Behind the door, an incredible garden filled the large room. The room itself looked as if they had stepped outside and into a forest. Stiles was mesmerized by the sights of the trees before him. Their thin trunks twisted in ways Stiles hadn't seen before and their branches bore thick red fruit.

Derek followed Stiles into the harder and walked up to one of the trees so he could pluck one of the strange fruits and pry it open. Stiles stared in wonder at the sight of the tiny red orbs filling the inside. Derek looked over at Stiles and held it out to him. "If you eat this, you can stay with me."

Stiles looked up to Derek's face and then down at the incredible fruit again. "Is it poisonous?" He asked, despite trusting Derek completely.

Derek chuckled and gave a shake of his head. "Of course not. It's perfectly safe. It's just a rule that anyone that eats the fruit of the Underworld has to stay. I didn't want you to accidentally do it without knowing what it meant. Eat the seeds if you wish to stay."

 

Stiles took the fruit from Derek and stared down at it before he plucked out a handful of the soft seeds and put them in his mouth. "Like that?" He asked, waiting for Derek to nod before he bit down. The juices of the seeds gushed in his mouth, filling it with tart flavor. His eyes widened in surprise and he smiled wider, some of the juice trickling at the edge of his mouth before he swallowed. "So I'm yours now?"

Derek nodded as he stepped closer, cupping his hand against Stiles' cheek. He stared down at his mouth, brushing his thumb over the Cupid's bow of his lip before leaning down and pressing his lips against it to taste the pomegranate on his mouth.

Stiles hummed out against Derek's mouth, easing more into the kiss and turning hand away so he wouldn't get the fruit on their clothes. Derek pulled away to lick at his own lips and nod. "You're mine, just like I am yours."

 

Chaos ensued in little time after Stiles' decision to stay with Derek had made it to the world of the living. When John couldn't find his son on the usual paths, he searched everywhere and asked each of the Gods if they knew what had happened to his son. It didn't take long for rumors above quickly circulate that Derek had abducted Stiles and was keeping him hostage in the dark corners of his lair.

Neither of them heard the rumors, their focus completely on each other. In their shared bedroom, Derek had his mouth on Stiles' neck and his teeth marking his skin. Stiles let out shaky breaths and light gasps at the feeling, baring his neck for Derek and giving him more room to mark.

"You're more special than you realize, you know." Stiles whispered, carding his fingers through Derek's hair and closer to him. "That garden, it's incredible. I've never seen plants as amazing as these! You can create just as beautifully as you take."

Derek pulled away from Stiles' throat and pressed his fingers against his hips. "Not as well as you." He pointed out. "You make everything better. It's indescribable how much more I feel with you here. You should rule with me, Stiles. You long for more of the end and what I crave is the beginning. If we rule together, we both get what we want. Would you like that?"

Stiles stared into Derek's eyes and traced his thumb along his jaw as he considered his offer. He soon smiled and kissed Derek tenderly. "I want that." He whispered.

Derek smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Stiles' answer clearly thrilled him.

 

For weeks after that, Stiles ruled the underworld with a crown of blackened and twisted branches metal branches, roses adoring the crown. Each was blackened and illuminated with the glow of its red accents, like the flowers that burned against the gate to their home.

Derek's twisted crown was decorated with red roses and single pomegranate flower as a symbol of his and Stiles' devotion to each other. Stiles loved the contrast in their crowns, giving Derek the life he'd been craving whilst enjoying the end that he'd been infatuated with.

They sat together in bed with their dog in his smaller form, Stiles' scratching behind one of the head's ears as the other two had their heads rested across his legs. He smiled as he stared down at the canine in adoration, bending to press a kiss to one of his snouts. "You know what my favorite part of him is?" He asked without looking at Derek.

"What would that be?" Derek asked, watching Stiles spoil his companion with affection.

"The fact that Cerberus actually means 'spotted.' That means you literally named your dog Spot." Stiles grinned over at him and watched Derek turn his head away. He saw a brief flush of his face and smiled wider as he looked back to their dog.

"Cerberus sounds more threatening though, doesn't it?"

"It does." Stiles agreed, laughing and shifting his hips. The dogs whined at the movement and Stiles apologized before scratching at their belly. "I probably will not stop teasing you about it though."

"I wouldn't expect any less, my dear Husband." Derek replied, sitting forwards and leaning in to kiss Stiles. Before their lips touched, a booming sound came from above them and shook the bedroom for a moment.

Cerberus growled and climbed off of the bed, bounding towards the door and waiting for his masters. Derek and Stiles exchanged a concerned look and rose to their feet before heading out to check what would have caused the noise.

"Wait here for me." Stiles murmured, patting Derek's cheek.

Derek sighed and kissed Stiles' forehead. "I need to grab something, be careful."

Stiles nodded and kissed him quickly. "I will, be safe, my love."

As he headed down the hallway, he could hear swift footsteps and Stiles wondered if he was about to walk into a battle.

"Stiles?" His eyes widened at the voice of one of the intruders calling for him and started running.

"Dad?" He called back.

He reached his father and hugged him tightly, happy to see him. Despite his agreements to stay with Derek of his own free will, he did miss his father. 

John stepped back and looked his son over, obviously checking for any injuries or signs of distress. "The rumors were true then." He whispered, anger flashing across his face. "Has he hurt you?"

"What? Derek would never hurt me." Stiles replied, frowning at the accusation.

"All Derek does is harm, it's part of who he is." Stiles frowned at the voice and glared over at Zeus. Zeus' form came in the man that used the human name of Gerard and needless to say, Stiles despised him. There were many times Stiles wondered if Zeus was correctly placed, since he seemed to have more in common with Ares than anything else.

"And how would you know that? He's always stuck down here alone. No one else seems to give a damn about him unless it's relevant to their own needs." Stiles snapped at him.

Gerard tsked and shook his head before looking to John. "It seems as if your son was brainwashed by Hades. It's best that we get him out of here as soon as possible."

John sighed and pat Stiles' back. "Let's just get you home for a little while. We can talk about everything."

"What would we talk about? I'm fine, Derek is kind to me." Gerard ignored Stiles' words and grabbed his wrist before yanking him towards the stairs. Despite Stiles' attempts to break free, he was dragged up to the gates. As Gerard passed through and Stiles' hand moved through to the living world, searing pain shot up his wrist.

Stiles started screaming at the burning, kicking and trying to get Gerard to let go as it grew worse. Nasty burns appeared on Stiles' skin all the way up to his elbow until John grabbed Gerard's wrist and forced him to let go.

"Stop it! Whatever is happening is hurting him!" He shouted as Stiles dropped to his knees and held his injured arm.

Gerard stared at the burns on Stiles' skin as they started to fade away into nothing. "That can't be..." He whispered before his expression became enraged. "What did you do? Did he give you something?" Gerard shouted at Stiles. When Stiles didn't answer, Gerard pulled him to his feet by his robes and yanked him forwards. "Answer me! What did he give you?"

Stiles screamed when he passed the gate and it burned him again, shoving away from Gerard and stumbling back into the darkness. John stepped between Gerard and his son, making sure Gerard wouldn't attack Stiles again.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm not going to let you keep hurting my son." John stated, holding his ground.

Stiles heard footsteps on the stairs and when he glanced back, he could see Derek's red eyes shining. He sniffled and tried to rub the pain away as Derek made it to him and pulled him close.

"You have it to him, didn't you?" Gerard shouted at Derek, thunder starting to echo in the distance.

Derek growled, his reddened eyes growing brighter and his teeth growing just as sharp as his pet's. "I'm not going to let you take my husband."

Gerard and John both stared at the two in shock, Gerard's expression more filled with horror and rage.

"Your husband?" John asked, looking between them.

"You obviously have been poisoning this young and naive boy! You've tricked him so he can't leave the Underworld and will have to stay with you!"

John turned towards Gerard with a calm expression on his face. "It would be best if you leave. I can take it from here."

"Excuse me? This situation is worse than we'd expected! Derek should be punished! It's the only way to save your son."

"Enough." John snapped before calming again. "I will handle this myself."

Gerard shot Derek one final withering look before vanishing. John sighed and crouched down to look at his son. "Is that true? Are you married to him?"

Stiles looked up at his father and nodded, lowering his head.

"You consented to it, right? There were no tricks, he didn't do anything you didn't want?"

"Derek isn't like that. I've been coming down here for weeks to see him, and when he was sure that I wanted to be with him. He showed me his garden. He asked me if I wanted to stay, and I said yes."

John sighed and rubbed Stiles' back. "I'm sorry, Son. I didn't know that you'd get hurt. You never came back, and I started hearing that you were taken...I couldn't handle it."

John looked away from him and moved out of the way. That's when Stiles saw their garden for the first time. Every single one of the roses that Stiles had tended to were dead.

The pattern of red, pink, white had gone away and turned to black, brown, grey. The gardens were barren and what remained of it was dead. The pure destruction and death of everything he had repetitiously poured life into was now home and it brought tears to his eyes. Stiles realized then that the true beauty of death was the potential for rebirth.

Stiles leaned back against Derek, placing his hands over his and sighing out. John bit at his lip and looked up to Derek. "I won't take him away from you. I promise you that, but I can't stop seeing my son. He is all that I have."

Derek rested his chin on Stiles' shoulder, his eyes fading back to their normal color. "It wouldn't be right if I took the very thing Stiles gave me away from someone else. Stiles may be my family, but he was yours first. I can make it so that he can leave, but he has to come back to me. You'll be able to see your son and he'll be able to do his work, without a problem. The catch is that there are times when I need him as well."

"That's fine, just as long as he can come back and forth between the realms. How do you feel about that, Stiles? Does that sound okay to you?"

Stiles looked away from what used to be his garden and back up to his father. "I want to help rebuild everything. Derek can help too."

John nodded and smiled at him. "We will rebuild everything. I know it will be stronger than ever, but things will be different this time."

Once it was time for the return of Spring, their gardens were more incredible than ever before. There were no more mundane patterns of red, pink, white. They filled the garden with vivid colors and a large Pomegranate tree that Derek and Stiles in the center. The tree bore delicious fruit that they shared with the Gods and other creatures. Each of them were amazed by the magnificent gift that Derek no longer wanted to keep to himself.

Stiles looked forwards to the rebirth of Spring, the warmth of Summer, and the harvest of Fall. This time, it didn't stop after Fall and go back to Spring so they could start their same old patterns. This time, Winter would come. Once Fall ended, Stiles and Derek let the flowers die as they headed back underground. Each time, they new that once Spring arrived, they could create something new.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again for reading, everyone! I'm so happy that everyone is enjoying the submissions so far and hope you continue to enjoy them! I was extremely nervous about posting this one and due to exhaustion actually almost scrapped all the hours of work during an anxiety attack. I'm so happy I didn't and that I finished it!
> 
> Accompanying graphic is [HERE!](http://melodramaticsalad.tumblr.com/post/152349741153)


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